Dowel pin cutting and beveling machine



May 26, 1953 c. JoHNsoN nowEL PIN CUTTING AND BEVELING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 21. 1949 A Carl I.. Johnson May 26 '-1953 3 c. L. 1oHNsoN 2,639,739

"DowEL PIN CUTTING AND BEVELING MACHINE Filed March 2,1',V 1949 l 42 Sheets-Sheet 2 @N1 Magg Carl Johnson Patented May 26, y 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DoWEI. PIN CUTTING AND BEVELING MACHINE Carl Johnson, RockforeLIll.

Application March 21, 1949, Serial No. 82,556

This invention relates to a new and improved dowel pin cutting and bevelling machine.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a machine of the kind mentioned capable of speedy high production of closely uniform, smoothly bevelled dowel pins at vlow cost and of whatever length is desired, the dowel pin blanks being cut in multiple to length from pieces of long round wooden rod material and the dowel pins being, thereafter, individually bevelled simultaneously at both ends.

The machine of my invention embodies improved rod feeding and clamping means and cutting means designed for speedy quantity production of the pin blanks of closely uniform length at low cost, as contrasted with theone pin at a time methods employed heretofore, which were necessarily much slower and much more costly. My machine also includes improved pin blank ejector and conveyor means, but my invention is more particularly concerned with the provision of novel bevelling means in which the dowel pin blanks, while supported in spaced parallel relationship on a sprocket that turns at a fast feed rate, are driven frictionally by contact with an endless belt that runs above the sprocket and between the two bevelling saws or cutters,

whereby to enable producing dowel pins uni.

formly smoothly bevelled at both ends in such rapid-lire succession that there is no difficulty in this end of the machine keeping pace with the other end where the pin blanks are cut in multiple.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a machine made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end View taken from the feed-in end;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are illustrations of a dowel pin blank and a nished dowel pin, respectively, as produced in the two steps performed at the opposite ends of the present machine.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding. parts throughout these views.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 6 designates an elongated frame on the feed-in end vof which a circular saw 1 is operated to cut dowel pin blanks 8 in multiple from long dowel rods 9, the latter being fed side by side in multiple on a suitably continuouslydriven endless conveyor I into abutment with a stop II, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the stop Il being properly adjusted relative to saw 1 so that blanks 8 of a desired length will be cut. Suitable holddown means are employed to clamp the rods 9 during the cutting operationas shown at I2, this clamp being disposed cross-wise of the rods 9 and floatingly pivoted at its one end, as at I3,

sclaims. (01.144-30) on the frame B and normally spring biased, as indicated at I4, to a slightly raised retracted position relative to a table portion I5 on the feed-'in end of the frame over which the end portions of the rods 9 project from conveyor I 0 and -alongside which the saw 'I is arranged to operate, as clearly appears in Fig. 2. Now, the free end of clamp I2 carries an upwardly projecting cam bar I6, the inclined inner face of which forms a track for a springpressed roller I1 that is'carried on the end of the rock farm I8 on which the spindle I9 carrying saw 1 is also carried, whereby to apply yielding clamping pressure downwardly to clamp I2 in timed relation to the lowering of the saw 'I on its cutting stroke. `See the dotted line position of the saw 1 and roller I1 in Fig. 1, which shows clearly that at least nine dowel pin blanks 8 are cut at a time from as many rods 9. The conveyor Il) is accordingly provided of the proper width to accommodate that many rods` 9 in side by side relation. Of course, more rods of a smaller size would be accommodated in the same space when smaller diameter pins are being made, and accordingly more pins would be cut at one time. The floating pivot at I3 allows the clamp I2 to move endwise under pressure of roller I1 working along cam bar I 6. This is for the purpose of yieldingly clamping the rods 9 in side by side abutment with one another and as a group in abutment with a shoulder 20 provided on the outer end of table I5, the clamp I2 carrying Ia bowed leaf spring 2I on the bottom thereof at the far inner end thereof remote from shoulder 20 arranged to engage the innermost rod 9 from the inner side and shove the rod toward the shoulder 2D as far as it will go until the group of nine rods is closely packed together, any further movement of clamp I2 merely compressing spring 2| to make for tighter engagement of the rods sidewise against one another, at the same time that the roller Il, its spring becoming more and more heavily loaded the farther down the saw 1 is moved in the cutting stroke, exerts increasing downward pressure on the clamp I2.vv Obviously, on the upward or retracting movement of the ysaw 1, the clamp I2 is released so as to permitthe rods 9 to feed forward again under the frictional thrust of conveyor belt I0. My invention is not limited to the holddown means just described, inasmuchas I may with the suitably continuously driven'spmdle 2B carried on frame B, serves as the means for transmitting oscillatory movement to the arm I8. This spindle 2Ii=v may be driven through areduction gear box from motor 22" sov asto be driven whenever the saw 'I is driven in the operation of the machine.

3I to the free end of arm 28 is pivotally and ad'- justably connected at 32 with a projection 3.3fon the pivoted end of arm I8. The weightv of the arm I8 and the saw supporting spindle I9A on its outer end is enough to keep the followerroller 227 in contact with the cam- 25. The arm I8 is pivotally connected. at 34. with a link 3.51v the lower end of which is. pivotally connected at 36. with. an arm 37 attached to a shaft 38 mounted for oscillation in bearings in a leg of frame 6. Anotherarm 39 attached to shaft 38 is pivotally connected asat 40 with a link 4I which is pivotally connected at 122 with a rocker arm 43 adapted to ejectthe freshly cut dowel pin blanks 8'. from the cutting position at the feed-in end of the machine and move them onto a support M lead,- ing to the continuously driven endless conveyor 1I5v th-at serves to convey theblanks. to the other end of the frame where the bevelling operation nextto be described is performed. The rocker arm 43 ispivoted. at its lower end on the frame at` |16,- and on itsupper end carries. a finger 41 which is spring-pressed in. a clockwise. direction on pivot E8 toward the limit position4 shown, so as to be. free to yield on the return strokes of the arm, when the finger rides under the ends of dowel rodsv 9 that have been fed forward by conveyor I0.. The finger serves, however, to move the group of` freshly cut dowel pin blanks 8 positively to the left in the movement of arm 63 in. that direction. The-freshly cut blanks 8 rest at one end on a shoulder 49. on stop abutment II and at the other end on a table 5.0 ex` tending in spaced` parallel relation to table. I and coextensive with support M. The saw. v operates in the space between tables 50. and I5. Finger M operates in the, space between table 50 and shoulder 49. Obviously, arm 43 is disposed in the extreme right handy retracted. position when saw I is lowermost and moves to. the. left to eject the blanks 8 as the saw 'i' is. raised. There will. always be enough blanksy 8,. on the support M inside by side abutment to keep. them in a line and make it unnecessary to pro.- vide upwardly reaching guide members on op.- posite sides of supportfor Contact with the ends of the blanks as they are moved forward-by the other blanks moved asa group by finger di.. However, such guides may be provided, if preferred, or deemed necessary. The same is true regarding the provision of guide members alongl opposite sidesl of conveyor 45', where. none havev been shown. Obviously, if such guide members are provided the inner one or ones could be 'xed' and the outer one or ones adjustable like the stop Il to accommodate different lengths of pin blanks. Guide or guard means may also be provided above and' parallel to support M and conveyor 45 to prevent piling up of pins under thrust from behind the row when one group after another is shoved forward by finger BT. A guide or guard extension rearwardly from. theA latter guide is also preferably provided to extendover the ends of' the dowel rods 9 when they are abutting stopv I'I so that the finger 4T riding under the rods wont tend' to kick them up 'and' cause trouble.

The cam engages a follower roller 21 carried on an arm 28 pivoted. at y29 on. the frame 6. A link pivotally connected vatV as. the. bevels, were concerned, despite the generally prevailing high prices charged for such pins. With my machine I am enabled to bevel both ends orvv a dowel pin blank simultaneously and in such a way that the same smooth job is assured on' each and every pin in large quantity production and at a fraction of the cost of the previous methods, sc'that much better dowels are, made available at. a.. much lower. price.. -In the present machine; two'spaced coaxial, circular bevelling saws or cutters 5I. are. mounted. in facing relation on a. spindle. 52 that is driven. by an electric. motor (not. shown), mounted on the frame 6. The bevelled' teeth 53 (Fig. 3.). on the two cutters 5I cutbevels 5A' (Fig. 5). simultaneously onv opposite ends of aA dowel pinv blank. 3 as. it isv fed between, and under the cutterson a rotating. drum. or sprocket. 55 while ther blank 8 is simultaneously driven by frictional engagementv with an endless belt 55' that runs above the sprocket and. between. thetwo cutters 5I, as clearly appears. in. Fig.. 1. The. belt.. 56 is driven fast enough to. assure more than one complete turn ofeach. blank 8 while. it is directly betweenthe cutters. 5I. at the high pointv of travel with sprocket 5.5, whereby to insure a complete and smooth hevelling. job on both ends. of each dowel pin processed'v in thisv machine. The teeth 5l of the. pin carrier sprocket are spaced properly to. receivethe blanks 8. freely therebetweenv to permit easy rotations thereof. byv the friction drive mentioned, and, of! course, the. recesses 58' between. the teeth` areA shallow enoughv to leave. about. half the thicknessof theblanks projecting. radially from the.. periphery of the sprocket for operation4 of the` cutters` 5I. onthe ends thereof without any. necessity for any.v fine. adjustments in the. mounting of.' the cutters relativeV to the sprocket. The. sprocket 55." is. suitably contin.- uously drivenwith the conveyor 45' and friction drive belt 56, the drive spindle 59 for the sprocket, the.. drive spindle Iifor. theconveyor f5.5,.and. the drive spindle 6I for the belt 5B. being all pref.- erably driven. together by the samepower means in the proper ratio.. The latter drive may be from. the. same. motor driving spindle 52' so. that all of the correlated mechanism is driven with the. cutters 5I- in the` oper-ation. of themachine. The pulleys 62 for friction drive belt 56' are mounted on an, arm.' 63K oscillatabl-y adjustable relative.A to the bearing. for. spindle.y 6 I1 so that. the desired: closeness'of: contact between thefbelt 56; and the dowel. pin blanksV may be obtained for goodvv drive regardless. of: wear on: the: belt.` and so thattadj'ustmentcr changel ofi sizeof pins :may

be made. An idler roller 541 ispro-vid'edbetween the pulleys 62 running' on-the lower-night ofi'the driveA` belt to limit sag of the belt dueA to= pressure on'- the-d'owel pin blanksdriventhereby, the inner pulley GitA beingfon one sideandthe'roller 64 on` the-other sid'e'ofL the=high pointi or crown ofi the sprocketL 551 andl hence on opposite sides of"V thatv portionoff the belt 56 contacting the blank' 8i to bevdri-ven: Theinnerpul-ley 62' is also'- adjustable endwise of arm 63" away from thecompanion'- pulleyvv $2y as i-nc'ticated"l at E5' so' that slack' in the belt may be takenA up from time tov time. The' spind1ef52for' cutters 53` is mounted on an arm 66 pivoted at one end on frame 6 at 61 and adjustable up or down relative to the frame by means of hand-screw 68 at its other end, whereby to enable adjusting the cutters 53 vertically relative to sprocket 55 to suit different diameters of pins being operated upon, it being obvious that different sprockets will be provided for use with pins of different diameters. The sprockets 55 are preferably as wide as the pins are long, as shown iny Fig. 3, to give adequate support at the ends being bevelled. The bevelled dowel pins are designated by reference numeral 8a in Figs. 1 and 5.

Sprocket 55 is disposed close enough to the spindle Sil for the blanks 8 to roll into the pockets 58 between teeth 5l as they roll off incline 65 from conveyor 45. An escapement member 1i? pivoted relative to frame 6 is oscillated by a ratchet wheel 'H turning with sprocket 55 and cooperating with the hooked end 12 of the member 70. Member 'l0 has a gate projection 13 which stands in the way of the last dowel pin blank 8 on the conveyor 45 so as to release only one blank at a time in correctly timed relation to the turning of sprocket 53 so that a single blank is supplied for each pocket 58. The bevelled pins 8a are dropped off the other side of sprocket 55 into a receptacle '15.

The operation of the machine is believed to be clear from the above description. Assuming all power is turned on for operation of the saw 1, cutters 5|, and the conveyor I0, cam 25, conveyor 45, sprocket 55, and drive belt 56, it is obvious that a single operator can attend to the machine by feeding dowel rod material 9 onto the feed-in end of conveyor l0. The rods 9 thereafter move forward automatically and are cut into dowel lengths. Any short butt ends will drop out between table 50 and stop Il. The operator need only be careful to see to it that nine dowel rods at a time are laid alongside one another on the conveyor l0, in order to insure proper functioning of the clamp I2, and he should also be sure that these rods have previously been cut oif squarely at least on the forward end when they are laid on the conveyor l0. The rods S used will, of course, be of a suitable wood and of uniform diameter, and may be helically and/or longitudinally grooved or scored, so that when the blanks 8 cut therefrom are bevelled off at both ends they are finished and ready for use. Each group of freshly cut dowel pin blanks 8, when ejected, moves the ones ahead onto conveyor 45, and that in turn feeds them to the sprocket 55 on which they are carried to the cutters 5|. Belt 56 gives each blank 8 a spin as it comes into contact with it in moving between the cutters, so that a smooth bevelling job is assured on both ends. The blanks 8 are free to move endwise in pockets 53 and a stationary stop plate (not shown) is provided on one side of sprocket 55 to center the blanks relative to the cutters 5I by sliding contact of the ends of the blanks on said plate as the sprocket moves the blanks into bevelling position and suitable means being provided to push the blanks endwise toward the stop plate from the other side of the sprocket 55, such as a leaf spring xedly supported and arranged to be slidably engaged by the ends of the blanks as they are moved into the bevelling position. I may use a nozzle supplied with compressed air at the latter point to blow the blanks endwise toward the stop plate. It takes very little force to shift the blanks 8 the small distance necessary to center the same. Di-

rections of movement and of rotation alle indi-f cated by arrows in the various views.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of' my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modi1- cations and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a dowel making machine, a pair of closely spaced coaxial bevelled cutters having their bevel sides disposed toward each other for operation simultaneously on opposite ends of dowel pins fed thereto, means for driving the cutters, a rotary substantially cylindrical work carrier disposed below said cutters having circumferentially spaced recesses provided in the periphery thereof adapted to receive dowel pins with freedom for their rotation while they are being moved into operative contact with the cutters, means for driving said work carrier, an endless flexible friction drive belt disposed substantially horizontally between the cutters over the work carrier and having the lower flight thereof disposed substantially tangent to said .work carrier and arranged to transmit drive frictionally to the dowel pins individually and in pairs as they arrive at and pass through the zone of cutting operation relative to the cutters, and means for driving said belt.

2. A machine as set forth in claim l including` means for adjusting the cutters in a substantially radial direction relative to the work carrier.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the friction drive belt is adjustable in a substantially radial direction relative to the work carrier.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the friction drive belt is adjustable in a substantially radial direction relative to the work carrier, the machine including means for adjusting the cutters in a substantially radial direction relative to the work carrier. i

5. In a dowel making machine, a pair of closely spaced coaxial bevelled cutters having their bevel sides disposed toward each other for operation simultaneously on opposite ends of dowel pins fed thereto, means for driving the cutters, a rotary substantially cylindrical work carrier disposed below said cutters having circumferentially spaced recesses provided in the periphery thereof adapted to receive dowel pins with freedom for their rotation while they are being moved into operative contact with the cutters, means for driving said work carrier, an endless flexible friction drive belt disposed substantially horizontally between the cutters over the work carrier and having the lower flight thereof disposed substantially tangent to said work carrier and arranged to transmit drive frictionally to the dowel pins individually and in pairs as they arrive at and pass through the zone of the cutting operation relative to the cutters, and endless conveyor belt for frictionally conveying dowel pins disposed on and in transverse relation thereto to the work carrier, and an escapement means operated in timed relation to said carrier for releasing dowel pins singly from the outgoing end of said conveyor belt to the work carrier.

CARL L. JOHNSON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 331,733 Robinson Dec. 1, 1885 719,639 Beck Feb. 3, 1903 733,362 Beck July 14, 1903 v.1,005,982 Kuntz Oct. 17, 1911 1,175,831 Spinney Mar. 14, 1916 1,856,169 Rosener et al. May 3, 1932 

